Lone Star Republic

[Kaiser Chris]

As an avid Texas history buff, the last time that I visited the San Jacinto monument, I noticed the same thing, but did some checking on it and found that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department actually is controlling what you could term as restoration back to natural habitat.
Here's an interesting link from their website, where it discusses the department's efforts to restore much of the park back to what it looked like in 1836:
http://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/san-jacinto-battleground/nature

I do second Kaiser Chris's encouragement for any of us that make the pilgrimage to San Jacinto to drop some dollar bills in the collection box at the monument/museum or pay to ride up to the observation deck (nearly 500 feet above the museum) or pay for access the interactive experience.

Glad to see a fellow Texan patriot on the site! It's also nice to see that the Texas Parks and Wildlife are taking the time to restore the battlegrounds to what they are. In addition to the environmental benefits maybe we can actually see some reenactments for next April. I'd love to volunteer as the Texan soldier who found Santa Anna.

Also don't forget the USS Texas. The oldest living battleship within the fleet and a fine testament to the awesome power of the United States Navy.

Will Mexico get a slightly favorable conclusion to the war?

I won't reveal too much right now since the war is about to start and there would be way too many spoilers. Some positive things to note for Mexico though is that they still exist in 2017 and Benito Juarez is hailed as one of it's greatest presidents, with him also leading the country at the start of the Mexican War. Let's just say for now that some sides will get favorable conclusions but there will be no total victories at the end of the war for all parties.

 

[drewmc2001]

Glad to see a fellow Texan patriot on the site! It's also nice to see that the Texas Parks and Wildlife are taking the time to restore the battlegrounds to what they are. In addition to the environmental benefits maybe we can actually see some reenactments for next April. I'd love to volunteer as the Texan soldier who found Santa Anna.

Also don't forget the USS Texas. The oldest living battleship within the fleet and a fine testament to the awesome power of the United States Navy.

Your wish is my command... or something like that...
Here's the website for this April's reenactment from:
http://www.sanjacinto-museum.org/About_Us/News_and_Events/Upcoming_Events/2017_Festival_Reenactment/


From the website:
2017 San Jacinto Day Festival and Battle Reenactment

The largest battle reenactment in the state is the centerpiece of the admission-free San Jacinto Day Festival, to be held on Saturday, April 22, 2017, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the grounds surrounding the San Jacinto Monument. The reenactment recreates the events leading up to Texas winning its independence from Mexico 181 years ago at the decisive Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836.

Sponsored by the San Jacinto Museum of History Association, the festival is a full day of entertainment, vendors, food, family activities, cultural exhibitors, games and fun set amidst living history: music and dancing on three stages featuring country-western bands, flamenco dancers, Native American presentations, square dancers and much more; 15+ food vendors; make-and-take activities and crafts for children; children’s train; petting zoo; medicine wagon show; birds of prey; weavers, spinners, blacksmiths and other demonstrators; and dozens of unique hand-crafted items for sale.

On Saturday, reenactors from across the state become figures in Texas history, for the day. Visitors can wander freely among the Mexican and Texian camps to learn what the soldiers and their families were doing prior to the battle in 1836. At 3 p.m., the official (and historically accurate!) reenactment of the Battle of San Jacinto begins. With hundreds of history reenactors, this reenactment—complete with cannons, horses and pyrotechnics—is the largest in southwest United States.

 

[Noblesse Oblige]

Personally, my only gripe is the border gore that I see with Mexico...please fix it post-Mexican War.

 

[Herr Frage]

Say, is the Texan railroad system well integrated with its American counterparts? I am guessing with Mexico it is not, the anarchy of the Rio Grande as one obstacle and until Juarez Mexico was not exactly in vesting alot in such things it seems.

Also a possible quote going forward.

"Well, someone finally lanced that boil." On Juarez's conquest of the RRG.

 

[Kaiser Chris]

Personally, my only gripe is the border gore that I see with Mexico...please fix it post-Mexican War.

Well at least it can't be any worse than the New Mexico region before Texas' annexation of it in 1850.

Say, is the Texan railroad system well integrated with its American counterparts? I am guessing with Mexico it is not, the anarchy of the Rio Grande as one obstacle and until Juarez Mexico was not exactly in vesting alot in such things it seems.

Also a possible quote going forward.

"Well, someone finally lanced that boil." On Juarez's conquest of the RRG.

During Lamar's term there was the beginning of some efforts to truly begin the transcontinental railroad with both America and Quebec. As of right now there's some limited railroad with Louisiana that connects Houston and New Orleans. There's also major amounts of construction ongoing between California and Oregon, and Lamar and Arkansas. However with the Civil War and the Mexican War coming this year, all railroad construction will halt for the time being until the war is done. Afterwords it would probably be Seguin's and Lincoln's mission to complete the railroad as a means of regaining economic power in North America. Texas has no railroads down south of its borders though. There was some talk in the Crockett administration of a railroad with Rio Grande but the Railroad Commissioner rejected it because he didn't want his mean dying in the Rio Grande desert. Also no rails with Mexico because both countries hate each other. I'd say the only two nations that have a fully integrated rail system are Quebec and America, mostly because of New England's industry than anything.

Nice quote. I'm sure that even Seguin could agree with that.

Working on the next post and will update by the end of the day. If time is good then I will also update with a narrative post, if not then it will come tomorrow.

 

[Kaiser Chris]

Chapter 71 The Battle of Fort Sumter

"By a strong majority of 157-50, the House of Representatives has formally approved upon the impeachment of President Robert Toombs for the highest crime of treason to the United States."- Speaker of the House Nathaniel Banks 1861
"I shall never join the likes of such rebel scum. Death before treason!"- Major Robert Anderson 1861
"When the drumbeat of war plays then I shall do my duty and serve my country. My only prayer to the Lord is that Virginia shall not commit such treason against the Union."- Colonel Robert E. Lee 1861

Before 1861 in the history of the United States there had been only two formal rebellions against the government of the United States. The first was Shay's Rebellion in 1786 that was formed in protest to the unfair taxation of the farmer's after the American Revolution and the corruption that had taken place in the state of Massachusetts at the time. The rebellion lasted near a year before being disbanded as the rebels fled under threat of battle with the state militia. In the end it could be said that Shay's Rebellion was a hidden blessing to America as it began the start of the Constitutional Convention. The next rebellion was the Whiskey Rebellion in 1791 where tax protestors living in the frontier of Western Pennsylvania rose up in protest of a new tax on the production and sale of whiskey by the federal government. This rebellion also suffered little to no bloodshed as the rebels broke apart when President Washington headed to deal with the issue with the support of the army. The events of this rebellion proving the power of the federal government to enforce national laws and the low toleration for rebellion in the new nation. Since then while there have been multiple periods of unrest and defiance to the government by multiple parties, there has not been another organized resistance to the federal government in the form of a largescale rebellion or revolution (though some historians like to claim the Nullification Crisis is such an event). This all changed in 1861 with the active secession of the Deep South and the formation of the Confederate States of America. The lawmakers who were left in Washington were stunned at such a move as no state had ever before actively put into threat the leaving of the union. Yet here it was in the form of the Confederacy, a blatant sign of treason against Washington and a mockery to the rest of the world of the stability of America's democracy. Between February and April there were many calls on both sides for a diplomatic solution to allow the states to peacefully integrate back in or have them leave the United States without any conflict. These calls would fall on deaf ears as the Battle of Fort Sumter would be the start of what would become the darkest point in American history.

In the days after the formation of the Confederacy and Toombs ascension as President of such nation, the American population of the North and those southern states who were still loyal to the Union were in a state of collective shock at such an event. While many had been predicting that the rebel states would come together and form a new nation in defiance of Washington, no one could have possibly seen that the nation's president would so willingly abandon his post and instead take up arms for the rebels. Even those few in the south who had wanted Toombs to become president thought he would at least come after he stepped down for the incoming Lincoln administration. In foreign capitols across the world American ambassadors were mocked once news was received on how their democracy which the United States prided itself on, was collapsing on itself as America looked like it might be no more. Within the halls of Congress there was a short panic upon such an act, and then a rallying of Republicans against both the South and the Democratic Party. Numerous Republican Senators and Representatives stood on the floors of the House and the Senate and made grand speeches on the treachery of the South and the Democratic Party, for the states that did make up the Confederacy had all Democratic legislatures and congressmen. Attention in particular was driven to those few allies of Toombs left in congress with various questions upon why the President would commit such a vile treason by siding with the rebels who would break apart the nation. Some Democrats pointed out that Toombs was merely following loyalty to his home state of Georgia that was a founding member of the Confederacy. These cries of state loyalty were rebuked by the North as their politicians said that loyalty to the nation was second to none and as President, Toombs' first duty was to the United States as a whole by trying to defuse the crises and helping Lincoln transition into office. On both regards he failed utterly with his dereliction of duty and defection against the nation. Sensing a huge opportunity that would tarnish the legacy of the Democrats forever and depending on how the crises went, could keep them out of the White House for a generation, Speaker of the House Nathaniel Banks called upon an impeachment trial against Toombs. The charges, high treason against the United States of America. While a normal impeachment would take several months in both Texas and America in modern day, the process only took a few days as the Republicans worked tirelessly to do such a case before Lincoln was inaugurated. Historians over time have admitted that the whole process of impeachment for Toombs was rather murky as many legal procedures were skipped by Congressional Republicans in the House Judicial committee and many Democrats were blocked from involvement in what was a clear act of a partisan coup. Yet there was little that could be done in the opposition as few could successfully vouch for Toombs' act of treason and the evidence was clearly there without any way to spin the story. The House successfully voted on the Impeachment on February 25th with a 157-50 majority, the vote having been made up of all Republicans along with some Northern Democrats who wished to save their chances of reelection, the opposition being made up of mostly Democrats from the border and loyalist southern states. The vote was then rushed to the Senate the next day for a proper conviction. Here was where the formation of the Confederacy hurt the Democratic opposition the most as the Senate was absent 14 Senators of Democratic affiliation, giving the Republicans a 2/3rds majority with their membership. On February 26th the vote was finalized with 32 Republican and 9 Democrats voted for the conviction of Toombs upon treason with 9 Democrats in opposition. When Senate Majority Leader Benjamin Wade stuck down his gavel with the completion of the vote, Robert Toombs became the first and only President in American history to have been successfully and fully impeached.

Impeachment of President Robert Toombs.

With Toombs impeachment happening a little over a week before Lincoln's inauguration, the agenda of congress then switched over to who would succeed Toombs. There was no public opposition to Lincoln taking over on March 4th as he was the winner of the election and the Republican controlled congress would be sure to strike down any measures that said no. It was just that until then there would be a six day vacancy in the United States, something that was unprecedented before in American history. The American Constitution explicitly stated that upon the impeachment of the President the Vice President shall assume the office of the Presidency, yet the Vice Presidency had not been replaced in the aftermath of Douglas' assassination. Under the line of succession in the 13th amendment, the presidency would then go to the Secretary of State, James Buchanan. Yet Buchanan had been away from Washington ever since the election and was currently in his home in Pennsylvania, some Radical Republicans in the meanwhile suggesting that it was very possible he could go to the Confederacy along with his former boss. Because of this many Republicans in the House wished for Speaker Banks to assume the presidency as he was the next in line after the Secretary of State. Doing so however would create a flimsy constitutional crises since it would bypass the Secretary of State who had not yet committed treason. Creating a horrible precedent for future presidencies down the line. Republicans also made calls that Abraham Lincoln should just assume office immediately since he was the President-Elect. This was a sentiment actually shared by Banks as the situation proclaiming him president would only have him in power for six days at most, making him a mere footnote in the history of the American presidency. In the couple days afterwords there was much talk between Congress and the Supreme Court in order to try and solve the issue so that future presidencies would know what to do and they would have clear leadership moving forward. Chief Justice Roger Taney made a final decision on February 28th by proclaiming that in a situation where a clear succession by the presidential cabinet in the midst of a transition could not occur, that the President-Elect would assume power immediately. This legal precedent which has since then been called the Lincoln Assumption, gained much criticism by contemporary Democrats as a coup and a clear disregard for the Constitution. However, since 1861 there has never been another case for the Lincoln Assumption to take effect and as such little reason for the Supreme Court to overturn it, with many historians today still debating the legality of it. Nevertheless, the decision was final and as such Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as President three days early on March 1st, 1861. His first task in office being to unite the nation and prevent the coming of a civil war, something which he sadly failed in.

Lincoln's inauguration

One common misconception that exists about the American Civil War is that both sides were actively pushing for war and that there was a clear division between both the North and the South. In reality the lines between both the Confederacy and the Union are very easily blurred as both sides were once Americans and in many cases after Petersburg, would very literally be fighting against their family members in the same battle. One classic example of this that many people tend to overlook is Abraham Lincoln himself as Lincoln was born in Kentucky along with his wife Mary Todd being from there, the Todd family have many notable members with pro-Confederate sympathizers during the war. Also in the 1860 election which was in many ways the primary cause of the Civil War, the candidacy of John Bell in the Constitutional Union did show that there were sizeable sections of the South who did have Unionist sympathies. These range from many different reasons such as former Whig ties, family in the North, apathy for the practice of slavery, or the feeling that secession was just a cause for the rich plantation owners, not the southern people. In the North there were also high amounts of opposition to Lincoln early on though these were mostly from Democrats and Northerners who felt that this was a war for slaves and they had no reason dying for it. Within the Confederate Congress there were many calls for peaceful negotiations with the United States that could include a possible existence of a slavery amendment and concessions involving greater states rights, with the pro-compromise faction led by new Vice President Jefferson Davis. The calls for compromise in the Confederate Congress, and across the South, unfortunately died down as the result of Toombs impeachment. This action by House Republicans which in many ways was more than just because of Toombs treason, backfired incredibly as they only riled up much of the south as in their point of view Lincoln was enacting a coup and they were treated as traitors when they were only fighting for their rights as said in the Declaration of Independence. Lincoln, who made his entire campaign platform based on reconciliation, was put in a tight spot between the Radical Republicans who wanted the Confederacy to be squashed with lethal force, and the moderates who were willing to compromise on states rights and slavery. On the matter of the Confederacy as a whole, Lincoln refused to formally recognize them as an independent nation and instead referred to them as "an unruly band of insurrectionists." Yet correspondence was mailed out several times in March and early April form the White House to prominent Southern leaders asking for general negotiations. When it came to the use of military force, Lincoln was very reluctant in this manner as war had not yet broken out and by sending federal troops to quell the rebellion, Lincoln would be seen as the aggressor and would cause multiple neutral southern states to possibly secede. So in the meantime all Federal troops that were still loyal to the Union were merely put on standby at the Mason-Dixon border and Canada while the State Department did its best around the world to prevent any taking advantage of America during the crisis. For all of March there existed an uneasy tension over what course the nation would take. These matters would all come to a climax with Fort Sumter.

Since Major Anderson's defiance of the South Carolina government began in February, there had been an ongoing siege in the Charleston harbor yet no military bombardment had been undertaken by either side, guns merely pointed at each other across the harbor in a silent staring contest. Colonel James Longstreet who commanded the bombardment was quite reluctant to commit any action as he had served with Anderson in the Oregon War and knew several defenders of Fort Sumter who were South Carolinian Unionists (along with the fact that as a cavalry expert Longstreet wasn't too knowledgeable on siege warfare). Anderson did not want to fire the first shots as doing so would formally start a war with the Confederate Rebels and in the situation of a prolonged bombardment Fort Sumter would lose due to the low manpower. It was Anderson's hope in the end that Lincoln could somehow find a way to relieve the besieged fort or that negotiations with the South would prevail. In the middle of all this was a impatient Governor Pickens who was embarrassed for being made a mockery of in the other Confederate States for having not been able to bring to heel the only Federal fort still standing in the south. Pickens didn't care for the potential consequences of a war, he merely wanted to bring Fort Sumter into the fold to restore his honor and up his advancement in southern politics along with being the leader of the first state to secede. For two months the standoff went on until early April where the situation in Fort Sumter was getting desperate for supplies. Lincoln, knowing he had to do something to relieve the men of the fort before ti was too late, wrote a letter to Pickens informing him that ships of the Union Navy would be coming into Charleston to bring supplies for the troops. This was done in the guise of a humanitarian manner as the supplies were food, clothing, and medicine for the troops, not weapons. Upon receiving the notification Pickens consulted with President Toombs who by telegram over which action to take. Despite contemporary views that Toombs ordered a general assault, historical evidence points to Toombs wanting to withhold on any action for the time being as he wanted to get more southern states on board with secession as well as general pressure in the North to force Lincoln to come to the table and recognize independence. Pickens was torn on this as while he did want to obey his new President, at the same time he didn't want to suffer any further embarrassment over allowing Union ships to just waltz into his harbor and continue the siege further. Going with his glut and notions of honor over reason, Pickens ordered Longstreet to deliver one last ultimatum to Fort Sumter, any refusal resulting in a bombardment on the fort. On April 11th Anderson refused such an offer. Thus the next day the first shots of the Civil War began as Confederate artillery started a barrage on Fort Sumter to which Anderson and his men retaliated. For the next four days an endless string of bombardment continued, miraculously no men on either side had died or even got wounded during this time. Seeing the continuation of such bombardment as senseless, Longstreet sent new terms to Anderson on the 16th in which the Union soldiers were offered to "evacuate" the fort, meaning they wouldn't formally surrender to the Confederates. Anderson being low on supplies, the fort having suffered much damage, and the men tired and on low morale, agreed to the new terms as he had done his duty and defended the fort with honor. The surrender occurred at 2:30 P.M on April 16th as the Union flag was given a 100-gun salute by the defenders before being lowered down. The flag was then carried by Anderson as he along with his men made their way out of Charleston in multiple boats to journey back to Washington.

Colonel James Longstreet, commander of the Sumter siege fort and soon to be infamous Confederate General (Left). Bombardment of Fort Sumter (Right).

When news of the outcome Battle of Fort Sumter reached the across the country the reactions were varied. In the Confederacy the people rose in celebration as they had driven the Yankee menace out and secured their borders. In the border states the reactions were varied as some celebrated, some were saddened, and most were unsure of what was to come. In the North the people rallied for President Lincoln in order to quell the Southern Rebellion, secure the forts, and maintain the Union. Massive patriotic rallies took place all across the North and thousands of men made their way to their local army base to volunteer. For Lincoln it was a disappointing outcome as the man had advocated for peace several times and yet war was now a certainty. Not wanting to call upon congress for a declaration of war as doing so would legitimize the Confederate government, Lincoln made a call for the creation of a 75,000 man militia to quell the Southern Rebellion, the call to arms being addressed to men in any American state or territory who wished to serve, with no set quota enacted for any particular state. This call to arms would play an important factor in the events to come within the next month. Though the most important event that many historians agree shaped the Civil War in its entirety, would take place on April 18th, the same day that Lincoln's call to arms was sent out. The Battle of Petersburg.

 

[pieman97405]

While there is apart of me that is a little disappointment this timeline won't have a three day President, I'm glad to see Toombs got charged with treason and thrown from office. At this point he is really going to need that fast boat.

Anywho, good update.

 

[Kaiser Chris]

Lee's Decision

April 16th, 1861. Petersburg, Virginia

It was a warm Virginia afternoon as a pair of men on horseback made their way across the flat Virginia plains. While it wasn't uncommon to see riders traveling together, these men had stood out in the day with their bright navy blue uniforms. They were men of the United States Army. An Army which unknown to the two men was currently in a state of war with their southern neighbors. These men were from the local Union Army Base, Fort Jefferson near Petersburg Virginia. Fort Jefferson, like many others within the United States, was a new construction as it had been built in the aftermath of the Oregon War to not only help in the protection of the Atlantic coast, but most importantly the capitol of Washington D.C. The main reason why Fort Jefferson was at Petersburg was due to the town being the primary rail hub for Virginia and much of the south, making it a prime target for an assault on both Richmond and Washington. Their mission? To scout out the surrounding area and check and see signs of any dissent. While Virginia had not seceded like many of the other southern states, days earlier reports came in from farmers near the South Carolina border of a large group of men heading into Virginia. The two men had been deployed along with a handful of other cavalry troops to check on such rumors and report back if the mob was made up of citizens or traitors.

"Jim do you really think that we got them Confederates in Virginia? We're too far up North for any of their people to come here. It just don't make sense since not even North Carolina has pledged their allegiance to Toombs. Seems like a bunch of pissed off farmers who want to join Montgomery to me." said the tall blond Yankee riding a few feet back, his name was William Watts.

"Bill I don't think that there are Confederates, I know we got some Confederates." replied the shorter brunette up front, James Garland. "Just think about it for a sec. If these were nothing more than a bunch of farmers then why the hell wouldn't they just go to Richmond and bitch to Letcher like civilized folk? Besides, the reports we got said that they had canons and hundreds of horses. The horses are plausible, but canons? Smells like a bunch of idiot rebels to me."

"So your saying that the Confederates are traitors to the Union? You don't find any sympathies with them at all? Not a single one?" asked Watts nervously. In the past few months it had been rather tense between the men of Fort Jefferson as there was heavy talk of Virginia seceding the Union and joining the rest of Dixie. Such talk wasn't good for the mental health of Watts as he was a man from Pennsylvania surrounded by southerners who could turn against him at any moment. Garland, having been born and raised in Virginia, was of said opposite camp.

"Me, liking those damn rebels? Hell naw! Those rebs are as righteous as a goddamn drunken Jew in church. Anyone who cant accept the results of a fucking election should quit their wining and accept the fact that they live in a democracy. If they wanted to accept permanent leadership so badly they should've stayed in England with their ancestors. Don't get me wrong, I sure as hell never cast a ballot for Lincoln, I was Bell all the way. However just because I don't like the man it doesn't mean I should just turn coat to the nation I was born in. He's the fucking president and we swoar a oath to serve that man. After all two million people elected him for a reason. And don't even get me started on that slavery bullshit. I never once owned a man in my life cause my Pa taught me that real men do their own work. Any slothful rich bastard who owns slaves proves nothing more than the fact that their too goddamn lazy to do their own work, just waving their money in your face like they own the town. Cigars they make from the tobacco tastes like shit anyways."

"But what if Virginia secedes? What will you do then if your own state joins the Confederacy?"

"Now that is an excellent question. Truth be told I'd probably just quit and go get a plot of land, start a little family farm. I'm not going to betray the Union but I don't want to fight against my own brothers anyways. I served my time in Oregon so they can't call me a coward for quitting."

"Yeah I can feel you. This is some crazy times we live in. America's at war against itself, we got a president who ditched office for another country, Lincoln's in office. What's next? Texas going to war with Mexico."

"It's like the Book of Revelations or some- WHOA!!" Yelled Garland who called for his horse to stop. At the same time he motioned Watts to halt with the flick of his right hand.

"What? You see something?" asked Watts. Garland pulls out a pair of binoculars and stares into the distance of what appears to be a rising cloud of smoke a few miles down. After looking into the binoculars for a few minutes, Garland puts them down with a look on his face that is a mix of horror and shock.

"Aw shit! Couldn't be just some fucking Injuns making a campsite. Bill, tell me what you see." Garland then hands the binoculars to his colleague who puts them back into position to check out his partner's worries. At first sight it looks as everything is normal. Just a couple of men sitting around the campfire. However as Watts continued to look around he noticed more men congregated down in the forest. A few became dozens, and dozens became hundreds. Most men had various attire that were fit for living in the Appalachia, some however wore some type of uniform that could all be united by a dark shade of grey.

"It doesn't look like too much. Could just be a bunch of veterans coming together. Don't see artillery yet, several horses though. Maybe if we inch forward and take a closer loo- crap! That's the South Carolina flag. The hell are those fuckers doing up here?"

"I told you. I told you we got Confederates coming. Dammit, should've made a bet over it, could've easily won five bucks."

"Well we can't just stand here. We gotta head back immediately and alert the base! Tell the colonel we got fucking rebels coming."

"Hold your horses there son. Let's think this through. Yes we know that Confederates are coming, but that's yet. We know their coming. We don't know how many of them there are, why they're here. what they want, or how the hell they made it through so easily. Basically we'd be going back and give a report that's nothing more than a single sentence on a sheet of paper. What we need is hard facts. And I got just the idea. Strip!" Garland ordered Watts.

"Fuck no!"

"Not for me you idiot! Take off your uniform and put some of our backup clothes on. We're going to go incognito and get to the bottom of this whole fiasco." Ten minutes later both men, sans their bright blue uniforms, were traveling down the forest and approaching the Confederate camp, their horses having been tide up about half-a-mile away.

"So your idea is to waltz right in their, say hi, and ask them what their battle plan is? We're going to get killed down there!" said a fuming Watts.

"I'm not going to go up to whoever is the enemy commander and just ask him 'Excuse me sir, could you show us your battle plans?' I got more brains then that. All we're going to do is just talk with some of the grunts for a few minutes, get a feel of the situation, and then quietly make our way back to the horses and get the hell out of here. All we need to know is what they're doing and why. We'll leave the planning up to the Colonel. When we do go up there just try and keep your mouth shut and let me do the talking. They won't spill if I got a Yank standing beside me." The two cavalrymen approach the camp where they come across a set of two soldiers setting up a tent. From the similar looks of the two men they could easily be brothers. Garland and Watts walk into the clearing with Watts stepping on a branch, breaking their cover. The noise causes the two men to snap to attention with one of them pointing a pistol at the two who promptly raised their hands up.

"Halt right there. Hands where I can see them. Surrender yourselves in the name of the Confederate States of America!" shouted the larger one of the two.

"Leonard, what the hell are you doing?! We're supposed to be on a secret mission, and how you keep a secret, is NOT TELL THE ENEMY WHO YOU FUCKING ARE!!" yelled the one with the pistol.

"Sorry George, I'm just doing my duty." Leonard responded.

"Easy there fellas, we don't want any trouble. Just passing by to visit some of the folks in Charlotte. Names Jim and this here's my cousin William. We're from Manassas up North."

"Manassas, so you boys Virginia huh?" asked George.

"Damn straight. Born and raised all my life. If you don't mind me asking you guys those Confeddies down below?"

"What's it to you?" asks George again.

"Good Lord! Thank the Christ almighty! I've been praying each and every night since the election for that tyrant Lincoln to get thrown out of office. It seems my prayers have finally been heard. You see I feel for you guys, y'all the real heroes and good ol Bobby Toombs is the true patriot. Not that Lincoln bastard up in the White House no sir! Did Richmond finally vote to leave the Union? Cause it's about damn time!" Both Garland and Watts were curious if such a fact were true as they had been riding for a while and Richmond could've easily been sending signals that they wanted to up and leave.

"Virginia joining good ol Dixie, I wish. No we about to set ourselves on a truly great mission. We going to go to Washington, and we going to take the city back for the people. That way Lincoln will be hanged for his crimes and Toombs, the rightful President, can lead the nation once more and we won't have to secede nothin." said Leonard with a smile on his face. At this George instantly facepalmed and then smacked his brother with said hand.

"You imbecile! Your not supposed to tell any random yahoo about the plan? What have we been trying to do for the past few months? Keep our march secret that's what!"

"But George, it's not like we told nobody. There were plenty of people in North Carolina who supported us in the towns we visited. These two are Virginian anyways, not some Yankee from Pennsylvania." Leonard said with Watts silently gulping. 'Shit, these people are planning an invasion of Washington. They'll take the capitol before anyone can even do something.' Thought Garland.

"Yes, but the people in the towns we saw were all Confederate supporters with our scouts having made sure they got no Yankees on them. These two are just a bunch of random nobodies from the side of the road. Who the hell knows where they're from."George then takes a closer look at Watts. "Say, how come your cuz here's been silent the whole time? Don't you know its impolite to not make some conversation." says George while aiming the pistol closer.

Garland wanting to deescalate the situation, put his hands in the air with false nervousness and came up with an excuse. "Oh Bill over here. He's what you like to call a mute, couldn't talk since he was 2 when Auntie Gloria dropped his poor little head on the side of the road. It doesn't help that he's not very bright either. You'd be lucky if you could get him to understand you for a single minute. Ain't that right Bill?!" Garland says while knocking on his head multiple times to imply that he had a mental disorder. Watts merely nodded along with a dumb smile though on the inside he was wincing from the embarrassment. "Me, I always wanted to join the Confederates since South Carolina seceded. Just never got the chance since I got the farm to take care of. Who's leading you guys anyways. I bet its Bobby Toombs himself isn't it?"

"Nope, its General P.G.T Beauregard. Weird name for a man, PGT, but he sure is smart that's what I tell you. No other man could lead the proud boys of the South Carolina 3rd!" said Leonard while George once more got infuriated.

"Leonard, how damn stupid do you gotta be? While we're at it why don't we just give them our guns and horses, or better yet our rations?! Look I don't know you two and I don't care one bit. Just leave us the hell alone and keep on going South if you know what's good for you. If your real patriots like you say you are, then just wait a couple of months until we get Washington. Then the nation will be the what it rightfully what it once was.

"Okay Gentlemen, pardon the interruptions, we'll just be making our way back to the road and head on South. Good luck on your mission. Make sure to kill some Yanks for me!" Garland and Watts then scurried out of the area as quickly as they could while the two brothers got back to work on the tent. George continually scolding Leonard so loudly for his behavior that they could be heard for a couple of hundred feet. Once they got a short distance away both men breathed a sigh of relief and then collapse on the ground.

"I can't believe it. The rebels, they're going to take Washington. We gotta head back now to the Fort so they can send a message to Washington before its too late!" said Watts.

"Calm down man. It's not the end of the world, we got plenty of time. Thanks to that buffoon down below we now know the basic plan that they're going to take. What we need to do now is wait an hour or two and scout out the rest of the camp to check out their numbers." Garland said to Watts' disappointment. "Yes, yes, I know. It's just that we need to at least know the entirethy of what we're dealing with so that way we know just what kind of force we're dealing with. Once that's done we'll get back to the horses and ride like hell under the moonlight until we get to Jefferson. From there, it's the colonel's mess." After that both men scouted the rest of the camp in secret to find that the enemies forces was being made up of two whole regiments, not enough to take out Washington in peacetime, but enough to takeover the capitol right now which was currently undermanned with several troops spread thin. Once the job was done they made their way to the horses, put on their uniforms, and rode for Fort Jefferson in order to deliver the news.

11:00 P.M Fort Jefferson

Back at Fort Jefferson it was eerily silent for the most part as most of the garrison were currently asleep with those awake either being on guard duty or not tired enough at the moment. Despite the general silence there was still life going on at the fort as some of the soldiers would gather around the campfire and socialize, clean their rifles, write to loved ones, etc. One noticeable light was going on at a small cabin near the center of the fort. Here was the occupancy of the current base commander and one of the highest ranked officers in the Army, Colonel Robert E. Lee. While Lee wasn't much of an insomniac and could go to sleep rather easily from all the times needed during the Oregon War, for one reason or another the man couldn't help staying awake tonight. Perhaps it was the stress of maintaining leadership for the Virginia 2nd, or the fact that the nation was going to hell in a handbasket with word just arriving only a few hours ago that Fort Sumter had surrendered, thereby starting a civil war. There was nothing Lee could do about that however as in his minds he was hundreds of miles away from the enemy and as such could not order his men unless receiving a direct order from the President. Wanting to pass the time, Lee began reading another passage from a book he just bought a few months ago in Richmond, "The Alamo" by William Travis.

The Alamo was a rather detailed memoir of Travis' time at the Alamo leading all the way from his deployment to their with the Texan regulars to the climatic battle that had killed the Mexican dictator Santa Anna and in many ways was able to bring Texas independence. It was a truly remarkable to Lee how this man and so many of his fellow soldiers who would become the founding fathers of Texas managed to win the battle at the end. By all rights they should've lost and the much larger Mexican force wipe them out before the end of the day. From what he read the Alamo truly wasn't too much of a perfect fort and it could've easily been overrun given the right tactics and use of manpower. What made the battle even more interesting was the fact that the Texans had virtually inflicted a 1-5 casualty ratio against the Mexican forces. Lee remembered how a few short years ago when he was superintendent at West Point, that Travis himself had come as a special guest to offer his views of both the battle and his time as head of the Texan Army. Since 1838 the Alamo had become an important part of the curriculum for the West Point cadets as it offered valuable lessons in both siege warfare and assaults on fortified defenses, making the visit even more important. From the short time that Travis was there, Lee didn't hold an impression of a strategic genius that the Texans had circulated so much out of the vast amount of tales of the Alamo. However what did impress Lee was that the man knew how to be an officer and a firm leader to his men with his high charisma and good organizational capabilities. For as it had been proven countless times in history, so long as one has a sound mind and an able leadership, then they shall have the ability to conquer the world. Just look at Alexander the Great for example. The man would've probably been average at West Point nowadays yet only at the age of 30 he had managed to conquer most of the known world.

Still despite how engaging the book was, Lee's mind couldn't help but stare off every now and again over the current state of the Union, in that there was no Union. Soon enough Lee would have to march down south in order to contain the rebellion as he would be forced to command battles where he had to kill fellow Americans. The idea of killing a fellow countryman left a poor taste in Lee's mouth. For in most wars there is a clear Us vs Them with one side emerging as the clear victor, such as how America liberated Quebec and received Oregon only a little more than a decade ago. In civil wars there were no winners, for when it has come to that then the entire nation has lost. Then there was also the issue hanging overhead that Virginia might secede any day soon. For the past thirty years Lee had been a proud patriot and had served all across America to defend the states from threats within and without. Yet could this sense of patriotism overcome loyalty to state? For Lee had also at the same time been a proud Virginian, just as his family had been for generations. Should Virginia secede then Lee would be forced to fight his fellow Virginians and many of his relatives. Lee just didn't know though if he could fight for a cause like Dixie. None of the reasons even mattered to him that much. While it was true that Lee did own slaves he had been wanting to free them for some time now and set his slaves up for a life in the Liberia colony. Even both Mary's (his wife and daughter of the same name) had set up a school in the Custis plantation to teach them how to read and write, though no one knew of it of course as it was illegal unlike Texas. While Lee had been an advocate of State's rights, at the same time he knew that the Federal government should come first as the constitution intended. Even on the issue of Lincoln did Lee find himself disagreeing as while he did not vote for the man (it went to Bell) he was still the president and as such Lee should do his duty to country and serve, just like he did under both Harrison and Webster.

Then there was the issue of fighting for the Confederate cause that would cause him to go against his Yankee friends that he had made during his many years in the Army. Thinking of the matter caused Lee to look at a photo of both him and Mary along with Ulysses and his wife Julie that they had taken while serving in Quebec. Though they had gone their seperate ways since the Quebec tour had ended, both Lee and Grant kept regular correspondence over the years and Lee was even the godfather of his eldest son Fredrick. The other day Lee had received a letter for Grant detailing that he was mobilized as head of the Ohio 1st and was currently stationed near the bank of the Ohio river on the border with Kentucky, most likely in an effort to keep the state in check should they decide to join the Confederacy too. Could Lee really throw away their friendship and fight for Toombs. What if they would be forced into a direct confrontation in open battle and one had to fight the other. How could Lee ever face his godson who he had not seen in years, if Grant were to somehow die in battle. This is why the man hated civil wars, it tore relationships apart and at the end of the day nobody would win. Resolving to sleep on the issue and prepare for tomorrow, Lee put down the book and was just about to make his way towards his bed for the night. Unfortunately for the Colonel he would have to stay awake far longer as two men suddenly barged into his door that would change his life, and the civil war, forever.

"Master Sargent James Garland and Sargent William Watts reporting with an urgent report for the Colonel, Sir!" shouted Garland as both he and Watts snapped to a brisk salute. Both men had noticeably haggard looks on their faces and their uniforms were covered in sweat and dust from the long journey that they had made to the fort. Lee didn't immediately notice however as he was far too annoyed at the breach in protocol.

"Good Lord, do you know what time it is? It's near midnight and yet you barge into my quarters without a single pleasantry or warning and demand an audience. You two have better have a good explanation or else there will be harsh punishment in the morning." said an irritated Lee.

"Sir, it's a matter of security to the state! The Confederates are coming and their on their way to attack Washington any day now." said Watts. This certainly put some adrenaline in Lee's system at the news at the very disturbing report of the rebels making their way to take the capitol. 'Confederates, in Virginia? How is that possible. Their armies should be down in Charleston or at the North Carolina border, not less than a hundred miles from Richmond. What is even more disturbing is that war had just broken a few days ago and with the time to travel through North Carolina, it means that they were planning this all along.' Thought Lee. With an immense amount of worry now converging on Lee, the Colonel motioned the two cavalrymen to sit down at his desk while he gathered his uniform to prepare for what might come.

"Tell me everything you know from when and how you found the Confederates. I want absolutely no details left out, understand." Lee said with the two men nodding. And so for the next twenty minutes the two cavalrymen did just as ordered and spilled on how they had found the camp of South Carolina soldiers early in the day and how they had managed to obtain information from two simpletons that they were on the verge of invading Washington. 'Idiots, soldiers who can't keep a simple plan secret shouldn't be marching in the Army.' The two then told in detail of the enemy encampments. According to their observations their were three, maybe four regiments of men from South Carolina with three battalions of cavalrymen and around 200 canons to bombard the capitol. At the mention of Beauregard leading the charge Lee was certainly surprised. The two men had both served directly under General Scott in the Oregon War and time from time P.G.T would even lend some thoughts on the strategy of the campaign plan. For some reason though the man had an intense vendetta against Lee that the latter could never understood as he always glared at the Virginian when he thought Lee wouldn't notice and would routinely try to make a mockery of Grant for his alcohol habits. At least Lee wouldn't have to be going into battle against a former comrade that he liked.

"Good work you two. The information that we have today will be extremely valuable in defending both Virginia and the capitol from the rebel menace. While I would send you two off for some rest, unfortunately I'll be needing you two as the next few hours will be rather hectic. Go to the officers quarters and wake them up with the news. Spread word around the fort that all men will need to be assembled at the parade ground in an half-hour directly. I don't care if you have to poor a bucket of ice water on some of the men to get them to become awake, just make sure that everyone is present. Am I understood?"

"Yes sir!" both men responded. They then promptly ran out of the cabin and started shouting for the men to wake up and assemble at the parade ground. In the meantime Lee had begun to think of a possible way to counteract Beauregard with his new information. At the moment Lee was only in command of the Virginia 5th, the garrison regiment that belonged to Fort Jefferson. Against Beauregard's force of potentially around 15,000 men it would be sheer suicide to go at it alone. Yet there was one good thing that Beauregard may not have known about if he rushed the deployment of his men. Since South Carolina's secession nearly all states in the nation had been mobilizing their militias to prepare for the coming war. As of right now Virginia had 15,000 men in Richmond waiting around for what action the state would take. Due to his rank and US Army regulations created by the Department of War, Lee could take command of all the Virginia forces and mobilize to meet this new threat. All he had to do now would be to rush a few riders to Richmond as fast as possible and get them to come down south. If they were lucky enough then the Virginia militia could arrive by nightfall and then they could move out on the 18th. However there were two other important factors that no matter what could instantly turn the battle in Lee's favor. The element of surprise that they had against the Confederates who assumed that they were in friendly territory, and the layout of the land that Lee and most of his men had from living in the area for most of their lives. Yet while duty naturally compelled Lee to go and meet the enemy, his heart kept on pulling back. If he were to go out and face Beauregard in battle then he would be plunging Virginia into the war and declare his intentions for the Union. There would be no going back after this.

After getting his uniform together Lee then proceeded to exit his quarter and make his way to the parade grounds. When he arrived there most of the men of the Fort were present or were just arriving as well. Most of them had tired faces on while a good minority looked visibly irritated at the actions of their commander. Yet for all the trouble caused by the sudden order they knew deep down that it was not without reason. While Lee could sometimes be strict in his discipline he was overall a firm and fair commander. Whatever was happening right now had to be of the upmost importance. Lee stepped up onto the small wooden platform directly in front of the grounds along with many of his subordinates who were confused upon the sudden call. After waiting a few minutes until it appeared that most of the Fort was present, Lee motioned to Sargeant Major Green who called the soldiers to attention.

"ATTEN HUT!" Green shouted with the assembled men snapping into salutes. Many of them were rather haphazard though it was generally understandable considering the conditions. Lee cleared his throat and then proceeded to address his men.

"At ease soldiers. Many of you are probably wondering why you are up at this godly hour and of what reason your commanding officer has possibly called you here today. Men I have some rather unfortunate news that while I was planning to share tommorow in the morning, due to recent events cannot be delayed any longer. As of this moment the United States of America is at war."

The announcement caused much commotion within the ranks as the men suddenly began to awaken and shared gossip of who they could possibly be fighting.

"We're at war who the hell could we possibly be fighting?"

"I bet you anything it's those damn Limey scum! Those bastards didn't learn a thing from Crimea and now they want to take Oregon from us."

"It's probably Texas. Those cowboys are sure crazy enough to do such a thing."

"Nah, it's gotta be Spain. We're going to go down there and liberate Cuba from the greasers!"

"ENOUGH!" Lee shouted which gained the attention of the men who fell swiftly silent. "It is not any foreign nation from Europe, the Americas, Asia, or anywhere else across the world who we are fighting. We are in a state of war with ourselves. For earlier today Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina has fallen to the rebel forces who call themselves the Confederacy. Such an act is clearly a provocation of war and as such the armies of the United States shall be mobilized to meet this threat." Talk once again spread among the men as most were southerners who had sympathies for the Confederacy. Before more unnecessary chatting could begin, Lee continued his address. "However, currently we are facing a threat far graver than what is going on in Charleston. For the sanctity of not only Virginia, but Washington itself is at stake. The Confederate States of America has sent a force of four regiments under the command of Brigadier P.G.T Beauregard to take the capitol while the nation lies unaware. As we speak they are violating Virginian territory by marching 20 miles from our current position. At most they will be within the Petersburg area by the morrow. As such we must do our sworn duty as American soldiers and repeal this foe at all costs. For failure to do so will mean the end of America itself."

While the men had been whispering before, they were now loudly conversing among each other as panicked cries spread throughout the ranks. The men of the Virginia 5th didn't really know what to think of the situation as they were shocked upon receiving the news. While yes they had to defend Washington by combating the Confederate forces, the real question is should they. Many of these men, mostly the officers, were slaveowners and as such they could sympathize with the cause of protecting such an institution through rebellion. The Virginians and others from the south felt that it would be morally wrong to fight against their Dixie brethren. The Yankees while dedicated to protecting the capitol, were a minority and as such were afraid to sympathize support with President Lincoln. Had Virginia seceded then it would be more than likely that most of these men would gladly join the Confederate ranks. However Virginia did not secede and as such it was a Union state being invaded by a Confederate force.

Eventually one men had the gall to defy the Colonel and gathered his voice to be heard among the large crowd. "And why should we go out and fight the Confederates?! If anything I say we let them take Washington from Lincoln. The man is nothing but a tyrant who is going to bring ruin to our great nation. As a Virginian I will not fight for a Yankee cause just to liberate slaves. And I will most certainly not fight against my brothers. Robert Toombs did nothing wrong and he is the rightful president!" This little speech actually got some amount of applause from those around him and various chants began to spread for Dixie, Toombs, the South, and whatever the men felt going on about. Before this, Robert E. Lee had his doubts about which side to pick. Now, after hearing such a treasonous speech from one of his own men, he knew which path to take.

"SILENCE!!" Lee shouted shutting up the previously chanting soldiers who now had a fearful look on their faces upon seeing the livid Lee. The Colonel in his command could be said to be a very calm person with little causing him to lash out in anger. The last time such a thing had happened was last summer when an idiotic recruit had been playing with his rifle and misfired, shooting one of his fellow soldiers. Upon seeing the act Lee beat the man with the butt of the rifle he had misfired with and promptly put him in a stockade in the middle of the fort for all to see until his court martial took place. As such the soldiers knew not to mess with Lee.

"Do you spineless wretches possibly hear what your saying. Your advocating treason against the very nation whose uniform you wear. The nation who you took an oath upon to protect. The nation that your forefathers died to create and protect. What would they say now? Seeing such cowards dare legitimize insurrection such as this? What utter disgrace you lot are if you so openly defy the flag which you pledge allegiance to! I know many of you here may not like the policies that Lincoln has pledged. Many of you may own slaves or believe that states rights triumph above all else. Yet while you do have a right to such views under freedom of speech, there is no such right to openly rebel for the sake of said views. For God's sake, the man had not even done a single thing after the election and yet South Carolina had the never to dare commit treason. I'm not saying that you have to like Lincoln or praise his acts. Heck, I did not even vote for the man. Yet no matter what my viewpoints I will still give my life in service to him. For he was democratically elected as the leader of our nation. As soldiers of a democratic republic it is our sworn duty to serve him until his term expires. If you dislike his policies or want to go against him then vote for the opposition or create a protest. Don't start a violent coup to overthrow the nation, showing the same hypocrisy that you spout put him in office. We are a democracy, and in a democracy one side tends to lose a election! Did the North secede when Andrew Jackson was elected twice? Did Massachusetts try to become its own nation when Jefferson won the election? Did the Republicans ever try to create a new nation with their states when Douglas won re-election? NO! For in all of these times the losing party held to the same viewpoints of democracy that our founding fathers held so dear. To have elections where the people are free to chose their own leaders without fear of oppression. Having only one side or view in power is nothing more than an autocracy. Who are we, England?!

Your own state of Virginia has had its sovereign borders violated by rebels who seek to take the capitol. If you will not do it for Lincoln then do it for the defense of your home state. For your families who could fall victim to their wrath. Do it for the nation whose capitol would fall to a hostile force for the second time in its existence. Fourteen years ago, thousands of Americans were fighting for their lives against the British menace in the Battle of Washington D.C. Many of you may even be veterans of the battle. Those hundreds of patriots who lost their lives during that time, gave it so that they could defend the city that is the beacon of democracy and liberty to the people of the world. Yet you would dishonor their sacrifice by letting it fall to a pack of wild dogs? For shame! Never in my life have I been disgraced to call myself an American as now. For if you represent the finest that our nation offers for defense then I say that it is a sorrowful state that it has become." Lee then proceeded to promptly walk himself off the stage. While most of the regiment had thought his was a sign for dismissal, they were suprised instead when Lee drew his sabre and began making a line across the dirt. 'This is either the bravest or stupidest thing I have ever done.' Thought Lee.

At first many of the people had thought the general had gone mad. Yet when Lee continued making the line, several people who had relatives in Texas or knew of the nation started to take notice of what the Colonel was doing. He was copying William Travis and his famous Line in the Sand to the defenders of the Alamo. He was giving them a choice.

Eventually Lee stopped his drawing after creating a line that was a couple dozen feet long. "This here represents a choice. To see whether you are true patriots or cowards that would dare disgrace the uniform. On my side will be assembled the men who will join me and the Virginia militia in the fight against Beauregard tomorrow. On the other shall stay those who do not wish to take up arms against their "brethren". Doing so will allow you to not participate in the battle. However as such you will be dishonorably discharged from the United States Army immediately for failing to live up to call of duty. Chose now or forever hold your peace."

At first the men were silent and still for several minutes. No one knew what to do with what the Colonel was giving them. Eventually two brave souls made a choice and decided to go on the side of the Colonel. It was Garland and Watts, the two men who reported the Confederate approach. Upon seeing some of their comrades join Lee, many more men began to cross the line, deciding that duty to country was more important then fellowship to the Confederacy. After several more minutes the sides were finalized until no one dared to move from either group. To Lee's great relief, most of the regiment had decided to join him and the Union, along with all the officers. The few who did decide to quit were a couple of dozen men on the other side including the heckler who advocated for the Confederacy. The looks on many of their faces indicated that they were starting to regret their choice. However they had done so under their free will and as such had to live with the consequences.

Satisfied with the outcome of his little gamble, Lee turned and faced the loyalist troops. "Men, it is of great pleasure to see you making the right choice and it will be an honor to serve with you on the field of battle. In a minute it is imperative that you return to your quarters and prepare for the coming battle. As of right now the enemy does not know we are coming so we have the element of surprise. However, time is of the essence and as such we must act immediately and without delay. A telegram shall be sent out to Richmond at once to mobilize the men and couriers sent to guide them towards Fort Jefferson. Upon the morrow we set out and meet the enemy in battle. Some of you will not make it back. For those who die however they shall have given their lives in service to country and as such shall be seated at the Lord's right hand side in providence. Good luck and may God save the Union!"

 

[Noblesse Oblige]

So Lee has made his decision...

That's it...Toombs is f***ed.

 

[Unknown]

That whole conversation made me chuckle in the first part; part of me doesn't blame Leonard for face-palming (OTOH, George is indirectly helping the Union)...

When it comes out that the Confederates invaded Virginia, Virginia ain't joining the Confederacy ITTL (think of the invasion of Kentucky by the Confederacy IOTL), but Virginians will still join the Confederacy. And with Lee and Grant on the Union side...well, Toombs could probably buy time (1), but the Confederacy is so screwed it's not even funny. The only question is: How many people will die in TTL's Civil War before that happens?

(1) He'd better have an escape plan, IMO...

 

[Kaiser Chris]

So Lee has made his decision...

That's it...Toombs is f***ed.

That whole conversation made me chuckle in the first part; part of me doesn't blame Leonard for face-palming (OTOH, George is indirectly helping the Union)...

When it comes out that the Confederates invaded Virginia, Virginia ain't joining the Confederacy ITTL (think of the invasion of Kentucky by the Confederacy IOTL), but Virginians will still join the Confederacy. And with Lee and Grant on the Union side...well, Toombs could probably buy time (1), but the Confederacy is so screwed it's not even funny. The only question is: How many people will die in TTL's Civil War before that happens?

(1) He'd better have an escape plan, IMO...

I'm glad you guys liked the chapter. Truth be told I thought it wasn't really my best when I was writing and was unsure of the first part or how you guys would react to the Battle of Petersburg. I'm glad that you like it in the end. However Unknown, it's Leonard who was the idiot for helping the Union, not George.

As for the Confederates chances and Lee and Virginia sticking to the Union, while it will hurt the Confederacy's chances in the long run it doesn't mean that we'll have a North-stomp TTL. The Civil War here is going to have a different theme than OTL in that it's about a true division of the south. Meaning that several slave states who stay loyal to the Union are going to see heavy divisions and possible splinter governments who pledge their loyalty to Montgomery. Even Virginia won't be free of this as while they were invaded by the Confederacy, there will be plenty of Virginians who will see it as justified as evidenced by the divisions in Fort Jefferson. So in a way while the Civil War is slightly leaning towards the North, the nation is going to be more divided then ever. The whole political situation and allegiances of each state will be fully shown in Chapter 73.

Overall the Confederates are in for a world of hurt now that Lee is fighting for the Union. It's important to remember that OTL Lincoln basically offered command of the Union Army to Robert E. Lee should he stay loyal. TTL Lee will accept that offer and we'll have a strategic genius in charge of Union forces instead of a dumbass like McClellan. Add to that fact that not only is Lee close friends with Grant, but a huge chunk of the Confederacy's best generals from OTL are now going to be fighting under Lincoln. Yeah...Tombs should REALLY start looking into Cuban real estate before its too late.

 

[herricks]

I am wondering how they got up there so fast. Other than that I liked it. Lee is may favorite general so I like him doing well. What you going to do with my second favorite general, Jackson?

 

[Unknown]

Sorry I got those two mixed up, Kaiser Chris, and waiting for more, of course...

 

[Herr Frage]

No Cuban real estate for Tombs I think. i expect he will be dancing jig in Washington D.C. when all is done. A jig involving a short drop and a sudden stop.

Well I am, guessing Robert E. Lee will be an American hero lacking major controversy TTL. And if he has anything like his OTL status but for America overall, that will greatly affect how the South is seen and sees itself post war I expect.

But that is later, now the dogs are loosed and havoc has been cried. North America is about to descend into the Years of Blood and Tears.

 

[pieman97405]

A great update, and with Lee and many other southern Generals in the Union camp, along with Grant in a better position I would not want to be in the south. True, you did say the border states are going to be more problematic in TTL (I'm guessing east and west Tennessee will be bloodier, along with problems in Kentucky and Missouri), but the Union has a leadership edge. I almost feel sorry for Longstreet and Beauregard, good as they may be, they are out manned and out gunned.

(1) He'd better have an escape plan, IMO...

I bet it is called a shave, a hair cut, a cheap dye job, and a freighter to British territory. Cuba is nice and all, but to close to a vengeful United States to be a good place to hide in the long term. Guyana on the other hand...

 

[Jon Crawford]

You know I just thought of something. Toombs is the kind of guy to make deals to better himself and gain power no matter how badly it screws over others.

I wonder; would Toombs attempt to strike a deal with Mexico or Britain to cause more pain and woe; and to prop up the Confederacy. I can see foreign entanglements adding to the body count.

 

[Kaiser Chris]

I am wondering how they got up there so fast. Other than that I liked it. Lee is may favorite general so I like him doing well. What you going to do with my second favorite general, Jackson?

The reason I didn't explain how the Confederates have gotten there so fast is because I'll be delving into it in Chapter 73. However since you brought up the point that many people will be wondering about, I'll elaborate. Basically the Confederate forces that are moving to Washington are entirely made up of South Carolina men. Governor Pickens created the plan right after secession so that way he could get glory for the state and increase his chances of independence. The actual plan wasn't enacted until Toombs gave the OK a few days after inauguration, meanwhile the troops were at the Carolinas border the whole time. So in effect its been a two month journey to Petersburg, more than reasonable given the distance. As for Stonewall he will also make an appearance in Chapter 73. Not spoiling his part yet though.

No Cuban real estate for Tombs I think. i expect he will be dancing jig in Washington D.C. when all is done. A jig involving a short drop and a sudden stop.

Well I am, guessing Robert E. Lee will be an American hero lacking major controversy TTL. And if he has anything like his OTL status but for America overall, that will greatly affect how the South is seen and sees itself post war I expect.

But that is later, now the dogs are loosed and havoc has been cried. North America is about to descend into the Years of Blood and Tears.

OTL Lee was regarded by both sides as an honorable figure and the only stain on his memory was that he served the South over the Union. TTL Lee will not only be an American hero, but a true example of a southern gentlemen that the Deep South should follow in example. This along with the status of other southern generals and states, will give the south a greater redemption as many will stay loyal to the Union and fight against the sole cause of slavery as advocated by the plantation elite. This is what leads to his eventual presidency that I keep on hinting.

The Confederacy's bad reputation and the backwardness of the South will instead be transferred to the Deep South. As they are the states who started all this mess and are the most bigoted and reactionary ones as they are heavily reliant on slavery. Making them a pariah to the rest of the nation until Long's presidency. Though there will be one unique exception.

If you think this is bad, just wait until you see the Mexican War.

You know I just thought of something. Toombs is the kind of guy to make deals to better himself and gain power no matter how badly it screws over others.

I wonder; would Toombs attempt to strike a deal with Mexico or Britain to cause more pain and woe; and to prop up the Confederacy. I can see foreign entanglements adding to the body count.

I don't know if I got my portrayal wrong, but Toombs is not that type of guy. The reason for his betrayal was because of the fact that he genuinely thought that he was serving the best interests of America by keeping the status quo and creating a nation that the founders such as Washington and Jefferson envisioned, away from the destitute that the Yankees bring. He only seeks absolute power to further his goals that in turn would serve the best interests of the people and protect the ideals that he grew up on. Or so he believes. He's just rather short-sighted and doesn't see how this will hurt the South in the long run. He's more of a screw the consequences what I say is right, type of guy.

In the end however while there will be some foreign involvement, there wont be any direct interventions TTL. In case you haven't forgotten, Mexico has its hand full with its secessionist Republics and is soon going to fight a war to reunify them. They don't have time to deal with the Confederacy as they will gain nothing. And if Toombs did try and send them an offer, then it will just backfire like the Zimmerman telegram and get Texas to invade the undefended Louisiana border. Britain wont join as there is heavy political opposition to such an action and things in Europe will soon heat up so that they'll have their attention diverted away from an action.

 

[Kaiser Chris]

Chapter 72 Yucatan and Rio Grande

"What kind of disaster have I created?"- President Jesus de Cardenas 1838
"With Central America coming into the fold it is clear to the other nations that the Yucatan is a force to be reckoned with. Mexico will think twice before attacking us."- President Miguel Barbachano 1839
"If there is a hell then the closest thing that comes to it is the Rio Grande."- John Hays 1847

Before we begin an insight into the beginning of the Mexican War, it is important to look at the final two players of the conflict who both played key roles in the beginning and conclusion. The Republic of the Rio Grande and the Republic of the Yucatan. In many ways these two sister nations of Texas could be said to be the exact opposites of one another. The Rio Grande was a failed state brought on by filibusters with little identity to call their own. The Yucatan would eventually rise to become one of the better success stories in Latin America by transforming itself into a prosperous Republic built on Creole and Mayan traditions. Both nations played key roles in the history of North America. Rio Grande and its primary cuase of the Mexican War, and Yucatan in shaping Central America the way it is today. These are their stories.

Yucatan: Since the beginning of New Spain the Yucatan had held a unique place within Mexico. For nearly two centuries since the region had become a part of New Spain in 1624, it had special autonomy within the colonial nation as a Captaincy General of the Spanish Empire. There were many factors that had resulted in its creation but this was primarily due to the unique geographical position of the Yucatan and the presence of the heavy Mayan native population that had persisted compared to the Aztecs and other native groups of New Spain. During the Mexican War of Independence, the state of the Yucatan had become a bastion of liberalism within Mexico due to the great number of Revolutionary leaders who had arisen from the state. One special example being Texas founding father Lorenzo de Zavala who came from the Yucatan and was a key sponsor of the Mexican Constitution. After Mexico's independence the state continued to liberalize while becoming one of the more prominent supporters of Federalism in Mexico due to its past history with heavy autonomy. While all this was going on the Mayan people were beginning to grow more powerful with a demand for equal rights to be strengthened. Because of all these factors the Yucatan was starting to form a strong national identity much like how Texas was in the 1830's. Creating the conditions for the Yucatan Revolution.

After the Yucatan Revolution came a short time of much uncertainty in the new republic. The Yucatan was far from an homogeneous place as the Mayan population were a strong and restless minority that were demanding of greater rights that it had not received in its time in Mexico. Along with this came backlash from the Conservative sections of the Creole population who were concerned with the immense amount of power that the Liberals were taking and were afraid that the Republic would be transformed into a dictatorship of Barbachano. Thankfully for the young nation an event soon came that would unite all sections of Yucatan society together and start the first feelings of Yucatan Nationalism, the Guatemala War. While the Guatemala War had been most undoubtedly one of Yucatan aggression against the Central American republics, it was one that gave the people of the Yucatan a clear enemy to fight against and a common goal to unit towards. The fact that the end of the Guatemala War resulted in the successful annexation of three nations and half of Honduras, showed the people that the Yucatan was a nation that could be successful and rise above the rest of the troubled states of Latin America. Another often overlooked result of Guatemala is the fact that it had solved, or at least curtailed, many of the initial problems that plagued the republic. Since the war was fought in order to meet the needs of the Mayan people, the Mayan natives became cooperative towards the state due to the fact that they could now rest easy knowing they had a role in the Republic and could live in peace with their nation united and no longer under the threat of forced assimilation by the Creoles. Both Liberals and Conservatives were able to unite together in a war and developed a newfound sense of patriotism towards their nation, helping to prevent the rise of any ideological civil wars as seen in the first two Mexican ones. With the addition of new territory that had more than doubled the Yucatan, the new nation would have a vast supply of natural resources to call upon and could expand itself to become a strong self-sustaining economy in the Gulf region due to the heavy trade with Texas and the passing of ships on both sides of the Yucatan's shores. With this sense of nationalism and identity being further reinforced with the Border Wars, the nations of the world could now count Yucatan as a stable and permanent member of their ranks. Now it was time for the Yucatan people to earn their peace.

The first issue of the new nation was of course the natural integration of both Creole and Mayan in the new state. While the Yucatan Constitution was certainly one of the most liberal in the world and contained equal rights for all its citizens on paper, there was still heavy discrimination of the Mayans be certain groups of the Creole population due to a general feeling of superiority. There had been multiple agreements and compromises made by Barbachano to try and appease both parties, though they were all temporary in nature. In the aftermath of the Guatemala War, the Creoles began to realize that they now had the possibility of being outnumbered by the Mayan peoples in the future as there were now hundreds of thousands of Mayans in the Republic and the they had naturally higher birth rates than the Creole population. Even the most bigoted of the Creole Yucatanis understood that a solution had to be met or they would face the wrath of the Yucatan. Wanting to find peace for both parties, President Barbachano began sending letters to President Houston in Texas, asking the man if he could give any advice based on Houston's successful implementation of the Indian Citizenship Initiative. Houston replied back in multiple letters and suggested that in order for there to be peace for the Mayan people to have their own semi-autonomous territories in the republic based on tribes so that they could live in their own manner. Barbachano saw this outcome as the best solution as it could allow both racial groups to live separately in peace. Legislation was then passed in the Yucatan congress drawing up a new federal system not only applying to the Mayan, but to all of the Republic. The Federal Act of 1839 would come to divide the Yucatan into eleven districts throughout the nation that in a similar manner to Texas would have high amounts of autonomy with a far more limited central government that would mainly be focused on the economy, national legislation, military, and foreign affairs. Each district would have three senators to send to the Yucatan for the Senate and a House of representatives also based on population. The Mayan nation within the nation would have seven senators to have in the senate while its tribes would be spread out in counties that would be able to keep their cultural practices in protection by national law and have unique laws that would apply to them so long as they didn't go against the Constitution. In order for a Mayan county to have a representative in the House, it would need at least 10,000 people. Although there was some heavy opposition from the Conservatives, the law was able to pass and the Yucatan people finally able to achieve their dream of the perfect federal state.

Unfortunately while the social changes were a great sign of progress, the Yucatan Republic would still be ripe with much conflict. These groups of dissidents usually came in the form of three different types; the Creole extremists, the Central American/Mexican Nationalists, and the Mayan extremists. The first was an extremely small minority of Creoles who were against what was appearing to be the transformation of the Yucatan into a Mayan nation. Because of this there was a sharp increase in the number of anti-Mayan crimes in the early and mid 1840's. The largest example of which was the existence of the Creole supremacist group the Creole First Coalition (CFC), a radical group of Creole supremacists who shared many similarities to the American KKK. Thankfully these attacks soon died down as the Yucatan Congress and the district governments refused to submit to the terror and renenge on the Mayan rights, meanwhile a nationwide crackdown on race crimes began that would see them become a minor problem by 1850. Though the CFC still continue to this day in a rump form. The next group who would prove to be the most dangerous for the Yucatan were the nationalists of the various states who the Yucatan had conquered. The first primary issue of this group came in the form of the Central Americans who had been conquered in the Guatemalan War. From 1839-1843 existed a time of unrest known as the Central American insurrection where groups of the defeated republics would wage a guerilla insurgency to seek the freedom of the nations or restore the USCA. Over time the Yucatan Army along with the help of the Mayans, were able to quell these insurrectionists and prevent a largescale rebellion from rising. Due to the increasing passed time as well as the memories of the short Central American confederacy, the motive for the people to fight for independence died over time and Central American nationalism hardly exists in the Yucatan today besides some fringe nationalist groups dissatisfied with the government. Finally there were the hostile tribes of the Mayans who would not accept coexistence with the Creoles and wanted their own state. Thankfully these people were a minority of the Mayan nation as a whole and thus were able to be quelled by Mayan militias before the Army had to get involved, thus preserving the Mayan status.

Map showing the boundaries of the districts of the Republic of Yucatan circa 1861

During the early days of independence the Yucatan began to form its own independent economy that would hopefully be able to compete among the many nations within the Gulf region. Unfortunately unlike Texas, the Yucatan did not have many natural resources to mine upon or even a small fraction of industry to build, so it instead relied on creating an agricultural economy to meet the needs of the people and hopefully trade with the rest of the world. Because most of the nation was extremely rural the average job of a Yucatani was to become a subsistence farmer and live within the village. The agricultural economy diversified during this period and began to take on a heavy amount of cattle ranching, lumber, coffee and rubber plantations, and plantations for tropical fruits that were rare outside of Latin America. The only jobs that could not be found outside of agriculture were positions within the port cities with Merida and Campeche forming heavy trade centers within the nation. These were mostly just confined to ship building, naval transportation, and fishing in the gulf. The one factor that allowed the nation to grow and prosper in the early years was its key position in Central America which had it become a midway point for trade between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, later causing the rise of railroads in the 1860's in order to quickly transport goods and people from one side of the country to the next. Though the Yucatan would never construct a canal like Nicaragua or Panama. Though its growth was relatively slow and the economy did not become as large as Texas, the overall economic conditions in the Yucatan were stable and as such most of the citizens lived a contempt life with a decent income, a rare sight in 19th century Latin America.

One last factor to talk about Yucatan is the beginning of its politics. Due to the Republic being a major center of Mexican Liberalism in Mexico, the Yucatan congress soon came to be dominated by liberals within its legislature. The apparent control of the liberals being evidence by the presidency of Miguel Barbachano from 1837-1853. The longest presidency of any individual in Yucatan history. Miguel Barbachano and his liberal allies followed many of the classic tenents of liberalism at the time with the main the imposition of free trade, equal rights with the natives, the existence of a strong federalist structure with low power for the central government, and a heavy emphasis on the importance of the Yucatan farmer. These groups coalesced together in 1839 to form the National Liberal Party. On the opposite side of the political spectrum existed the Conservatives who felt that the liberals were being too radical in their reforms and wanted a return to the old ways. These people believed in protectionism, buildup of industry, a strong central government, heavy support of the Catholic Church, and the assimilation of native peoples. These groups came together in 1840 to found the Conservative party and would begin to find much success in the 1850's with the election of founding father, Santiago Mendez, as president and the takeover of the Senate. Lastly existed a group of Mayans who felt that their needs were not met by either party. These political Mayans were of a more populist manner who followed many liberal ideologies but sought for the protection of the Mayan culture and advancement of their agenda in the nation. In 1850 this would give birth to the Mayan People's Party which was founded by Mestizo, Rico Salazar. The MPP would form a small third party for many years as much of the Mayan population were illiterate and held low political participation in the government. Over time as the Mayans grew and they became literate, the Mayan Party would become a force to be reckoned with and would stand equal with the other two parties in the 20th century.

President Santiago Mendez, 1853-1861 (Left). Presidential Palace in Merida, Yucatan. (Right)

Rio Grande: In hindsight the creation of this mess of a nation was something that should've been dearly avoided by France, Texas, and the Yucatan at the Treaty of Guadelupe Hidalgo. What these parties did at the end of the First Mexican Civil War was nothing but take away five important states from Mexico and give it to a small group of filibusters who claimed to represent the hundreds of thousands of people who lived among the Rio Grande. In reality the founders of the Republic of the Rio Grande were only a group of ambitious landowners who saw an opportunity with the presence of the armies in the south and the relative sparse concentration of people in the north of Mexico. When independence was finally achieved, many of the founders of the Rio Grande didn't know what to do as they were very inexperienced in politics and the previous politicians and statesmen of the states were either dead, disposed, or unwilling to help. Because of this there existed a very tense political situation where a constitution had not even been drafted yet. There was still hope for the young nation however that it would bounce back and prove its own like Texas and the Yucatan. However the aftermath of the Border Wars provided a trauma that the Republic would never be able to bounce back from as it utterly failed to protect its sovereignty from Mexico and would've collapsed if not for foreign assistance. Unfortunately the Republic fell apart with the assassination of President Jesus Cardenas in 1849 by Luis Garcia, a man who Cardenas had owed money to but was never able to pay it back. When the Rio Grande cabinet and congress convened to appoint a successor (they never wrote a constitution so it wasn't clear that the Vice President would succeed like both Texas and the Yucatan) no one candidate could be agreed upon and the members refused to form elections to have the people decide. When word of the prevention of elections spread, the people across the Rio Grande either rose up or simply ignored all authority from Satillo. From there the situation worsened as Congress shut down completely and all the representatives went back to there own states and counties to either claim the presidency or take control of their own area. From this began the Rio Grande period where the entirety of the nation collapsed into multiple states with the Rio Grande only surviving in name due to no one state either having recognition or gaining power. An endless civil war.

To put the situation of the Rio Grande perspective is a quote from Mexican historian Manuel Gutierrez, who described the Rio Grande at this time as "Mad Max if there was even a sliver of order left." This description while seemingly hyperbolized, was in many respects quite accurate as the Rio Grande was a lawless region with multiple city states, independent ranches, and consecutive wars trying to claim ownership of the region. Outlaws were numerous and extensive in the republic with the people needing to rely on arming themselves for defense. The economy was practically nonexistent and the Texan Redback was the only acceptable currency due to the large informal trade going across the Rio Grande river. In may cases the only organization who could provide a sense of order and leadership left was the Catholic Church, with many towns actually having the local priest in charge of leadership. This was mainly due to the Church's largely established role in the lives of the citizens and its respected stance of neutrality between many of the warlords in the region. Often times it was joked that any day Pius would sent Italian legions to conquer the Rio Grande. With the large amount of chaos and unrest that took place at this time, its rather hard to form a conscice summary of the Rio Grande as a whole as each town was radically different from the next. Rather than existing as one nation, the Rio Grande was a host of micronations before the concept even existed. What little that can be said is that the Rio Grande was a largely agrarian nation focused on livestock and subsistence farming with its people living mostly independent and libertarian lives away from the control of a government. The Rio Grande was a true example of what would be called The Wild West.

Over the years with the Rio Grande descending further and further into anarchy, its people began to despair. They were tired of the constant warfare by gangs and filibusters, they were tired of living in an impoverished land, they were tired of not knowing if one would be able to even live to the end of the day. With little hope of Satillo emerging to take control any time soon, the people began leaving in droves to either Texas or Mexico. Yet out of those who stayed emerged a movement, the Pan-Mexican movement. The Pan-Mexicans emerged in 1853 after the rise of Benito Juarez and were determined to reunite with the mother country. They saw how Juarez was changing Mexico for the better and wanted to be in on the glorious movement as well, to experience the prosperity and sense of order that they had undergone in New Spain. These people did not care for the Texans or the French as they saw them as responsible for the mess. Over time began the emergence of the Order of Mexican Patriots, an organization of Mexican Nationalists who strove for unification. Born in the state of Chihuahua, the group of patriots would slowly gain power with the covert aid of Mexico and would soon begin to rule all of Chihuahua and were making their way into Central Rio Grande. With the path to revolution clear, the Pan-Mexicans began a national revolt in 1861 which invited the Mexican Army to begin, starting the Mexican War.

A group of Rio Grande filibusters. A rather common sight in the 1850's.

 

[AnonymousSauce]

With the path to revolution clear, the Pan-Mexicans began a national revolt in 1861 which invited the Mexican Army to begin, starting the Mexican War.

Ooh ooh ooh, it's finna be on like a certain video game gorilla...

 

[Unknown]

Good update on how the Mexican War started.

Hope the Yucatan budget takes into account hurricane impacts...